Mexican National Gets 35 Months for Firing AR-Style Rifle From Dallas Bridge During New Year's Celebration

DALLAS - A man who fired an AR-style rifle from the Margaret McDermott Bridge during New Year's celebrations has been sentenced to 35 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm while in the United States illegally.

Jose Raul Alarcon Sanchez, a Mexican national, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey. Prosecutors said Alarcon Sanchez had overstayed a temporary visitor visa issued in May 2025.

According to court records, shortly after midnight Jan. 1, Alarcon Sanchez and another man were among vehicles and crowds gathered on the Margaret McDermott Bridge to watch fireworks. The men took turns recording each other firing black rifles over the side of the bridge.

Dallas police returned to the area Jan. 5 and recovered 79 fired 5.56/.223-caliber cartridge casings along with multiple 9mm and .40-caliber casings on and beneath the bridge.

Later that night, Grand Prairie police arrested Alarcon Sanchez while responding to a separate shots-fired call. Investigators said they found additional ammunition and cartridge casings in his pockets and van that matched evidence from the bridge.

Federal agents searched Alarcon Sanchez's residence Jan. 28 and recovered multiple firearms, including an AR-15-style pistol that investigators later linked to cartridge casings recovered from the bridge.

Agents also found his Mexican passport and determined he had remained in the United States after his temporary visa expired, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Investigators said they found photographs and videos on Alarcon Sanchez's social media accounts showing him holding and firing the same AR-style rifles believed to have been used on the bridge in the days surrounding the New Year's shooting.

Godbey described the conduct as "incredibly dangerous" while imposing the 35-month sentence.

"Spraying rifle fire off a downtown bridge is a lawless act that puts our Dallas residents at risk," U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in announcing the sentence.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Dallas Field Division and Dallas Police Department investigated the case with assistance from Grand Prairie police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh prosecuted the case.